Alignment tool or device for cooling blade



ALIGNMENT TOOL OR DEVICE FOR COOLING BLADE Filed Nov. 1. 1966 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR Harrier S. Slag/e WW2. MW

ATTORNEY U.S. Cl. 250--49.5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for aligning the cooling blades and apertures of the cooling blades of an electron microscope cooling device such as that shown in U.S. Patent 3,124,680, which includes a base member having a fiat upper surface, a fiat spacer formed on the upper surface of a portion of the base and extending a predetermined vertical distance above the base, an alignment rod having one fiat end attached to the spacer and a cylindrical free end extending beyond the spacer over the base plate, a mounting pin formed on the free end of the mounting rod and adapted to match and pass into a slot in the mounting section of the cooling blade itself, and a marker such as a scribe line or a hole in the base at a position indicating the normal alignment of the apertures in the cooling blades. A horizontally and vertically adjustable magnifying lens may also be positioned above the markings on the base plate.

The present invention relates to an alignment device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for aligning a cooling blade of an electron microscope, cooling device.

In the art of microscopic investigation, various highpowered magnifying devices not heretofore utilized have recently become available. Among these magnifying devices of high magnifying power is the electron microscope. This device has substantially improved the art of microscopic examination and photography, but has been found to have a number of disadvantages when utilized to investigate certain materials. For example, it was early found that certain specimens to be investigated with an electron microscope would be overheated by the operation of the microscope, thereby changing the characteristics of the specimen and making the results of the investigation inaccurate. As a result, cooling devices have been developed for dissipating the heat generated by the microscope and making it possible to examine a wider variety of materials, without altering the materials and making the results of the examination inaccurate. An electron microscope of the character referred to and a cooling device for such a microscope, which incorporates the cooling blade referred to in the present application, is shown and described in detail in U.S. Patent 3,124,680. Reference is therefore made to this patent for the details of and the use of the cooling blade referred to herein. The present discussion will therefore be directed to the novel means for aligning the cooling blade.

While cooling devices referred to above have snbstantially improved and extended the use of the electron microscope, it has been found that great care is necessary in the handling and use of these cooling devices. More specifically, it has been found that the cooling blade of an electron microscope. cooling device oftens becomes bent or otherwise misaligned and must straightened and adjusted in order to permit its proper use in the cool-- ing device and the microscope to permit proper use of the microscope.

It has also been found that frequent removal and raw placement of the cooling blade often results in danmgc to the blade and contamination due to repeated ventings nited States atent of the cooling device. Heretofore, such misaligned or damaged blades have necessarily been straightened by actual alignment in the electron microscope, thereby increasing the chance of damage to the device and the chances of contamination. This, of course, also requires use of the electron microscope to provide such alignment and a waste of valuable investigative time. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that means be provided quickly aligning cooling blades of an electron microscope, cooling device under conditions simulating actual use in an electron microscope but at the same time, with-- out the necessity of actually using the microscope.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to pro vide an improved alignment device.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide an improved alignment device for the cooling blade of an electron microscope, cooling device.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved alignment device for adjusting the cooling blade of an electron microscope, cooling device which can be utilized without the aid of the cooling device proper or the microscope.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple, accurate, alignment device for adjusting the cooling blade of an electron microscope, cooling device.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a cooling blade for an electron microscope, cooling device, as previously referred to; 7

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the aligning device of the present invention with the cooling blade in place thereon;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device of FIGURE 2, additionally showing a magnifying means for use in conjunction with the alignment device; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged end view of the mounting pin of the alignmentdevice of FIGURES 2 and 3.

It has been found quite surprisingly, in accordance with the present invention, that a very simple, accurate aligning device can be provided for the cooling blade of an electron microscope, cooling device, despite the cornplexity of electron microscopes and the cooling devices for such microscopes. The following detailed description. will show the simplicity of such device, which is able to, at the same time, simulate conditions of actual use in the electron microscope and, therefore, permit accurate and rapid alignment of a cooling blade without tying-up valu-- able use time of the microscope.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows an isometric view of the cOoling blade of a cooling device for an electron microscope. In accordance with FIG- URE l, the numeral 10 represents a mounting sleeve adapted for attachment or mounting of the cooling blade in the electron microscope, cooling device. This slips over an appropriate mounting post of the cooling device. Sleeve 10 is also provided with an end slot 32, and a central apex Slot l2 slips behind an ap ropriate spool or p aperture 1:3, thereby fixing he sleeve to post. Extending from one end of the mounting sleeve iii is a biade mounting extension 1e. ed on the free end of extension 16 are pair of 7 blades 13 which aid the dissipation of in run microsco c. cooiing dcv e. Because o the ode, in the vicinity of t.

that. (with small apertures 3 these blades must be accurately aligned, both in their horizontal and their vertical relation. Any slight misalignment, particularly, of the apertures 20, will interfere with or completely prevent viewing through the electron microscope.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate the alignment device of. the present invention. In accordance with these figures, a base plate 22 having a generally fiat top surface is provided. Base plate 22 may be any desired size and shape, but is shown as generally rectangular, being about 50 mm. wide, 135 mm. long and 2 mm. thick. Formed adjacent one end of the base plate 22 is spacer means 24. Spacer means 24 is also shown as a generally flat, rectangular plate. By way of dimensions, this spacer plate is 23 mm. wide, 41 mm. long and 4 mm. thick. Mounted on spacer plate 24, and, therefore, a predetermined vertical distance above base plate 22, is an elongated alignment rod 26. Alignment rod 26 has a mounting portion 28 which is flattened and which is held to spacer plate 24 and base 22 by means of appropriate bolts and nuts 30. The free end of alignment rod 26 which extends beyond spacer plate 24 is a cylindrical holding portion or rod 32. Holding portion or rod 32 is shaped to fit within cooling blade mounting sleeve 10, in the same manner as the mounting post of the cooling device. Pressure fitted into rod portion 32 and extending upwardly in a vertical direction is mounting pin 34. Mounting pin 34 passes into slot 12 of mounting sleeve 10, thereby accurately aligning the cooling blade device, in both the horizontal and vertical directions on the mounting means 26. As shovfit in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, pin 34 has formed along its sides, beginning at a point flush with the top of rod portion 32, a pair of horizontal slots 36, into which the sides of slot 12 of sleeve fit. This, of course, improves the alignment of the blade device and also aids in holding the device on the mounting means during the actual alignment operation. Formed on base 22, at a point predetermined by the use of the properly aligned cooling blade, is alignment marker means 38. Alignment marker means 38 may take various forms, such as the scribed lines, shown in FIGURE 2, or the small aperture in base 22, shown as element 40 of FIGURE 3. In any event, whether the alignment marker means is a scribed line, as line 38, or small hole, as aperture 40, this marker means permits the accurate alignment of the apertures of the cooling blades 18. Where the scribed line, such as line 38, is used, the alignment is, of course, a visual alignment. However, where an aperture, such as aperture 49, is used, the alignment can be either visual, by observing the alignment of aperture and apertures 20, or it may be by dropping an appropriately sized and shaped pin through apertures 20 and into aperture 40. In either event, it is desirable, in order to simulate the actual conditions of use in the electron microscope, to have some means of magnifying the alignment marker, as well as the blades themselves, including apertures 20. For this purpose threaded into base 22 is support post 42. Support post 42 has, on its lower end adjacent base plate 22, a lock nut 44 to lock it into position on the base plate. Mounted on support rod 42 is support sleeve 46. Support sleeve 46 is held on rod 42 by means of L-shaped lock screw 48, which is threadably mounted through sleeve 46. Fixedly attached to sleeve 46 is lens support plate 50. Lens support plate 50 is threaded to receive the corresponding threaded portion of a lens case 52. Lens case 52 carries an appropriate magnifying lens (not shown). It may thus be seen that the magnifying device can be appropriately located abo e the cooling blades 18, by adjusting the horizontal position. can be moved up and down on rod .3 focus the magnifying lens properly.

It is obvious from the previous description that the alignment device of the present application can be utilized to simulate accurately and simply the conditions present in an electron microscope and thereby permit alignment of cooling blades of an electron microscope, cooling device which have become distorted or misaligned. Various modifications of the subject device will occur to one skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the present invention is limited only in accordance with appended claims.

I claim:

1. An alignment device for the cooling blade of an elec' tron microscope, cooling device; comprising, base means having a generally flat upper surface; spacer means formed on the upper surface of said base means adjacent one end thereof and extending a predetermined, vertical distance above the surface of said base means; alignment rod means having one end thereof attached to said spacer means and the opposite end thereof extending beyond said spacer means and shaped to receive the mounting end of said cooling blade and hold said cooling blade in a predetermined, horizontal position above said base means; and marker means on said base plate at a predetermined point below the point at which said cooling blade will be located when said cooling blade is mounted on said alignment rod.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the free end of the alignment rod is generally cylindrical in form and has mounted thereon a vertically-disposed, upstanding pin adapted to pass into an opening in the mounting end of the cooling blade.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the pin has formed therein generally horizontal slots on either side of said pin beginning at a point flush with the top of the alignment rod.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the marker means is a line scribed on said base means at a position below the position of the viewing apertures of the cooling blade when said cooling blade is mounted on said alignment rod.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the marker means is an aperture passing part way through the top of the base means at a position below the position of the viewing apertures of the cooling blade when said cooling blade is mounted on said alignment rod.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein a magnifier means is mounted on the base means and is positionable at a point above the cooling blade when said cooling blade is mounted on the alignment rod.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein the magnifier means is adjustable vertically.

8. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein the magnifier means is adjustable horizontally.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mounted end of the alignment rod is a generally flat portion.

10. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mounted end of the alignment rod is a generally fiat portion and the free end of the alignment rod is a generally cylindrical, elongated portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,752 5/1955 Parrish et al 250--51.5 3,124,680 3/1964 Dorsten et al. 250-49.5 3,237,511 3/1966 Helava 88-44 ARCHIE R. BORCHELT', Primary Examiner Examiner 

